Social Intelligence and Academic Achievement as Predictors of Adolescent Popularity

• NCJ Number: 229538
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2010 Pages: 62-72
• Author(s): Noortje Meijs; Antonius H.N. Cillessen; Ron H.J. Scholte; Eliane Segers; Renske Spijkerman
• Date Published: January 2010
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

This study compared the effects of social intelligence and cognitive intelligence, as measured by academic achievement, on adolescent popularity in two school contexts.

Abstract

A distinction was made between sociometric popularity, a measure of acceptance, and perceived popularity, a measure of social dominance. Participants were 512, 14-15 year-old adolescents (56 percent girls, 44 percent boys) in vocational and college preparatory schools in Northwestern Europe. Perceived popularity was significantly related to social intelligence, but not to academic achievement, in both contexts. Sociometric popularity was predicted by an interaction between academic achievement and social intelligence, further qualified by school context. Whereas college bound students gained sociometric popularity by excelling both socially and academically, vocational students benefited from doing well either socially or academically, but not in combination. The implications of these findings were discussed. Tables, figures, and references (Published Abstract)